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National issues centre stage in Griffith by-election

TONY EASTLEY National politics is set to dominate the by-election in the former prime minister Kevin Rudd's electorate of Griffith.

Voters in the riverside, inner-city seat in Brisbane will be heading back to polling booths on the 8th of February.

The Coalition's candidate Dr Bill Glasson is running again after securing a 5.5 per cent swing against the prime minister in September.

But the chances of Dr Glasson delivering the once-safe Labor seat into the Coalition's hands are slim.

Melissa Clarke reports.

MELISSA CLARKE: Kevin Rudd's departure from politics marks the end of the most turbulent periods in recent political history. But the by-election campaign in his seat of Griffith is just starting, and it's shaping up as a local fight on national issues.

TERRI BUTLER: It's the first opportunity for them to pass judgement on the Abbott Government.

MELISSA CLARKE: Labor's candidate is lawyer, Terri Butler.

TERRI BUTLER: Well, I think people will take this opportunity to send a message to Mr Abbott and his Government about their shambolic first four months in office.

MELISSA CLARKE: The Coalition candidate Dr Bill Glasson is banking on a re-run of the nationally successful "axe the tax" campaign.

BILL GLASSON: There's legislation before the Federal Parliament in terms of repealing the carbon tax and I call upon Mr Shorten and the Labor Party to back that legislation.

MELISSA CLARKE: Dr Glasson was a star recruit for Queensland's Liberal National Party. The former head of the Australian Medical Association managed to turn a safe Labor-prime ministerial seat into a marginal electorate.

But the ABC's election analyst Antony Green says it's unlikely he'll be able to repeat the feat and secure the extra 3 per cent swing needed to put the seat in the Government's hands.

ANTONY GREEN: If you go by history, Labor should retain the seat. It's been 90 years since a governing party took a seat off the opposition.

MELISSA CLARKE: The ALP (Australian Labor Party) believes the recent debate over whether there should be a $6 fee for GP visits is damaging for Dr Glasson, who has supported the idea, even though it's not Coalition policy.

Labor's Terri Butler.

TERRI BUTLER: There was no mention of any GP fees prior to the election only four months ago but here we are in January and they're not ruling them out.

BILL GLASSON: There's been no greater advocate for Medicare than Bill Glasson.

MELISSA CLARKE: It's an argument that certainly has Bill Glasson on the defensive.

BILL GLASSON: Listen, this proposal was a think tank. The Government hasn't even looked at it, hasn't even considered it.

MELISSA CLARKE: Greens candidate Geoff Ebbs suffered a 5.2 per cent swing against him in the September poll. He's running again hoping to reverse that result.

GEOFF EBBS: We'll be aiming to regain all of the ground that we lost in the September general election and hopefully get a bit more on top of that.

MELISSA CLARKE: He's predicting voters will be more reluctant to support the micro-parties that were so successful in the general election.

GEOFF EBBS: The result where we've had micro-parties gaining senate seats has alerted people to some of the dangers implicit in that kind of reaction against the major parties.

MELISSA CLARKE: Either way, there'll be a new face representing Griffith.

From the Archives

Around 500 Indigenous people fought in the First World War, and as many as 5,000 in the second. But many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander diggers who made it home received little or no recognition for their contribution. On Anzac Day, 2007, the first parade to commemorate their efforts and bravery was held in Sydney. Listen to our report from that day by Lindy Kerin.